Three albums into the Alice solo era and we already have a curious tangent. For Lace and Whiskey he decided to move away from shock rock, and instead take on the persona of a fictional, hard-boiled detective. Unlike Goes to Hell, which worked because not only did it retain the schlocky edge which was essential to the Alice persona, but also gave it depth, here the lines are blurred between meandering story and compelling individual tracks from the Ezrin-Wagner-Cooper alliance. The album's bookends stand out (especially the lead-off "It's Hot Tonight"), but in the middle they lose themselves in the midst of this un-rock 'n'roll story line (the disco-heavy "No More Love At Your Convenience"). There is also another ballad cut from the same cloth as "Only Women Bleed", which hit the Top 10 ("You and Me"). Definitely not his best, but points of interest for fans and casual interlopers alike.

I always thought of David Peel & The Lower East Side as the New York counterpart to Country Joe and the Fish, as both were politically-charged, novelty-appeal acts seemingly born out of the folk tradition. In reality, Peel (along with the Fugs) was part of the first of many waves of nihilism enumerating out of New York. While colors abounded and minds were expanding, The Lower East Side Band just went out and yelled it from the street.

Less an autobiographical tale and more a string of really fine performance clips of both the Small Faces and Humble Pie, used as a backdrop to tell Steve's story in a very loose style. If you are looking for the fine details, start with an actual written autobiography. I think this really was made in the 90s but I am not certain. Some versions advertise a complete live show (normally "Winterland '73") but in reality it's just the documentary.

I continue to come away stunned at the depth and breadth of this one, after each succeeding listen, which supposedly isn't even their best (that nominally goes to 1970's Astra). Coldly-feeling riff-monsters and monolithic experiments ("The Crazy World of Pod") fit snugly by fantasies drawn from an older era ("Fields and Me"). "1999" combines all the above elements - and a healthy helping of the band's South African roots - into one explosive, anthemic mix, making it the one 1970's classic rock-era track you never heard that you need to hear. If you really want adventure, check out the great drum solo in the middle of "The Home Coming". To say this is a must-hear collection is an understatement....

When Vince Furnier took over ownership of the Alice Cooper name and launched his solo career back in the mid-70's, I think the intention was to gain stardom on the level of an Elton John or a Bowie along with developing the character in ways previously unheard of. What happened instead was real life interference - specifically, the pressures of keeping up appearances in the public eye, and the effects of continual substance abuse. Two albums into the venture, cracks in the dam were beginning to show, yet on Goes to Hell, Alice and crew are still functioning at near-optimum abilities, for the most part. Backed by the usual co-horts (Bob Ezrin, Steve Hunter, and Dick Wagner) it's an introspective affair, overall, and definitely has more insight than the outright camp that was all over the previous Welcome to My Nightmare.